I am new to crochet (as in like...24 hours old hah). I did a search to try to find an answer to my question, but did not see anything.

Basically, I have been practicing doing a sc stitch and I think I have the idea. However, when I am going to the new row especially, I seem to have random stitches that have 3 loops to pull the stitch through instead of the two, and I am not sure why. Anyone have any idea if there is a common mistake that causes this to happen?

Also, as I am just practicing doing the sc, I am ending up with round items that are turning into bowl-like shapes. I mean, I was kinda happy because I see people get annoyed they can't crochet in the round and there I was, but I def. was not intending to. Any idea what would be a common mistake that would make you end up with a rounded product?

At least I have my first finished object, a totally mishappen ball that is now stuffed with polyfil for the cats - they LOVE IT because it is sprayed with catnip.

If you crochet in the round and do not do any increases you will have a bowl or ball shaped object.

I'm not sure why you are getting extra loops - you must be making them along the way for some reason.Why not practice in rows instead so you also practice turning and making sure you are getting all the stitches (as in not increasing or decreasing when you make your turns)?

If you crochet in the round and do not do any increases you will have a bowl or ball shaped object.

I'm not sure why you are getting extra loops - you must be making them along the way for some reason.Why not practice in rows instead so you also practice turning and making sure you are getting all the stitches (as in not increasing or decreasing when you make your turns)?

Thanks for the response! I was indeed actually trying to practice strictly rows and turning , but for some reason I am either missing something or picking something up, because it is turning out rounded when I am trying to just make a square shaped piece of cloth.

I was thinking about the extra stitches and maybe I am somehow not pulling the yarn through both loops consistenetly and am accidentally leaving one on...I am going to try some more and see if I can work backwards once I do one of the accidental 3-loop mistakes.

Thanks for the response! I was indeed actually trying to practice strictly rows and turning , but for some reason I am either missing something or picking something up, because it is turning out rounded when I am trying to just make a square shaped piece of cloth.

Sounds like you're losing track of where the end of your row is, and continuing down the side of the piece instead of turning at the last stitch. I used to do that when I first started, too. It's helpful to hang a paper clip or something on the ch-1 at the start of the row, so you don't forget which stitch it is.

I also find that it's helpful to use a hook a few sizes larger than you think you need. That way, your stitches don't come out too tight, so it's easier to clearly see where the top loops of each stitch are.

Ah, good point...that could be it. I will try to mark more where the 'end of the line' is so I am not losing track. I am currently working with the biggest needle I have and bright yarn so I can sort of see.

The first thing that occurred to me about how you end up crocheting in the round-- at the end of the row, when you turn the piece, are you flipping the whole thing over (back to front, the way you should be), or are you rotating it 90deg? If you rotate, you'll be crocheting around the edges, whereas if you flip the whole thing, you'll be going back and forth in rows.

Sorry if I'm totally off base with that guess Not sure where the extra loops are coming from though.

The first thing that occurred to me about how you end up crocheting in the round-- at the end of the row, when you turn the piece, are you flipping the whole thing over (back to front, the way you should be), or are you rotating it 90deg? If you rotate, you'll be crocheting around the edges, whereas if you flip the whole thing, you'll be going back and forth in rows.

Sorry if I'm totally off base with that guess Not sure where the extra loops are coming from though.

I am flipping it over like..... A|B B|A flipped on the axis. I think so at least, I need to double check that. Maybe I am putting the yarn in the wrong spot.

Nexstitch is a pretty cool site. The only thing I didn't like about it was the videos are very short. I did a little better with http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963. Her videos are longer and go through a few rows of the stitching, with slow motion, so you can see the follow through and not have to keep restarting the video.

For the record, in case anyone else has these issues and comes across this post in a search...

1. The 'roundedness' indeed looked to be a product of not stitching into the end of the rows correctly, so it was getting warped. Paying more attention to the end of the rows and marking them for awhile as you practice will help solve the issue.

2. The sudden triple loops on the hook were the product of not pulling through the stitch correctly through both loops in the single crochet stitch. I think this was happening when I had stitches that were too tight and I was struggling to pull them through. I thought I had them all the way through but it was slipping out at the last second. Solved it by being more careful and paying attention!!